The preservation of foodstuffs by pickling has been known and used for hundreds of years. Numerous commercial processes have been developed for large scale pickling, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 723,693, 3,255,918 and 3,403,032.
In recent years, with the interest in natural health foods which contain a minimum of artificial preservatives and other color and flavor enhancing additives, it has become desirable for individuals to prepare small batches of pickles and other vegetables in the home. Some pickling processes may involve the use of special yeasts as fermenting agents, although these methods usually produce an inferior, less tasty end product. Although there are also non-fermentation pickling processes, such as those which utilize brine and vinegar, the true "old-fashioned" sour pickle flavor is achieved with lactic acid fermentation.
Lactic acid fermentation has been used to pickle cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage (sauerkraut and kimchee), and other fresh vegetables for many years. This process is considered to yield superior flavor and texture in the final product. However, this process is sensitive to many factors which will affect the resulting pickled vegetables and make the process difficult for the inexperienced pickler to carry out.
Lactic acid fermentation pickling is difficult to control because the desired fermentation process must be encouraged while the undesirable molds and bacterial growths must simultaneously be inhibited. The lactic acid-producing bacteria responsible for the fermentation reaction must be appropriately maintained in anaerobic conditions and fed without concurrently producing unwanted biological activity. Further, by controlling the salinity and pH of the pickling solution, the growth of spoilage microorganisms is greatly inhibited while the growth of a selection of desired lactobacilli species is enhanced, resulting in relatively high populations of desirable bacteria compared to populations of undesirable bacteria. Consequently, the available nutrients are depleted along with the production of desirable lactic and acetic acids, without appreciable production of undesirable components, and all subsequent biological activity is terminated.